Designing a Network Essay -- science

Designing a Network I. STATEMENT & BACKGROUND The college of Business (COB) server is now being used to support deliver to the Computer Information System (CIS) department. The CIS professors would be using the server for various operations. Assignments, e-mail, and other types of information would be easier for the students to access. Network users are able to share files, printers and other resources; send electronic messages and run programs on other computers. However, certain important issues need to be addressed and concentrated on. In order to begin the process of setting up the COB server, the total numbers of users (faculty and students) must be determined. Some other significant factors to be approached are: the required software applications needed on the network, an efficient and appropriate directory structure and effective security structure. In designing the directory structure, the major focus must be on accessibility. The number of undergraduate CIS courses that the server will be used for is between 15 and 17. For the users to be ensured that their information is not at risk, we will create an effective security structure. In composing the appropriate security structure there must be certain access rights assigned to the users. An important technical detail in setting up a server is the amount of money that will need to be allocated for the restructuring of the system. For the system to function properly, the amount of hardwa re/ software will need to be determined. II. FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS The COB server will primarily be used by CIS professors and CIS students. The approximate number of professors in the CIS department is between five and seven and the approximate number of CIS majors is between 100 and 120. As computer technology continues to grow, the number of CIS majors is vastly increasing. If we see a considerable rise in Computer Information Systems majors the department will have to expand its faculty members. The CIS professors will be using the server to disburse their syllabi, distribute specific assignments and send e-mail to their students. The layout, design and complexity of each class will determine how much the professor may be using the server. The first class a CIS major usually takes at Western is CIS 251. Management Information Systems (CIS 251). This class offers students a basis for management... ...led in to diagnose and solve the problems. Outside consultants are usually expensive and are most of the time are not worth it. The load placed upon the system will vary at times. Classes are going to have a conflict in assignment due dates and everyone is going to rush to the lab to finish their assignments. However I think that most of the time there will be a slight to moderate load placed on the system. Most students bounce in to check their mail or to send a quick message anyway. Sitting down and writing a program in one session is impossible any, so that will reduce the load in itself. Login scripts for each user need to be simple. Allowing students to write their own should not even be considered. Each student should have the same format and be placed at the same starting point each time that they login. Alloting a specific number of search drives and network drivers would definitly reduce problems. Students should be required to change their passwords periodically. The system login scripts could execute certain commands for each different users, faculty and students. These are just a few areas within the entire Technical Design process that require a serious answer.